


It's Too Much

by AchillesMonkey



Series: The Neurodiversity Series [3]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: ADHD Daisy, Alternate Universe - College/University, Asexual Character, Autism Spectrum, Autistic Fitz, Autistic Fitzsimmons, Autistic Simmons, F/M, FitzSimmons - Freeform, Gen, Sensory Overload, asexual fitz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-18
Updated: 2017-06-18
Packaged: 2018-11-15 17:23:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11235702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AchillesMonkey/pseuds/AchillesMonkey
Summary: It's finals week, and Simmons struggles with sensory overload while trying to study in the library. Luckily she has Fitz to help her out.





	It's Too Much

**Author's Note:**

  * For [agentofserenity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/agentofserenity/gifts).



> From a Tumblr prompt: autistic fitzsimmons, Simmons has a meltdown due to sensory issues (akin to the scene in 3x03) and Fitz helps her through it?
> 
> It wasn't specifically a pride prompt, but I managed to turn it into one with an Ace Fitz. Hope that's okay, agentofserenity!

It was finals week. The week where the rest of the student body started freaking out about their grades and invaded the library. The week where they pulled all nighters and chugged coffee and energy drinks to stay awake. The week where the library’s quiet floors weren’t all that quiet just because of the amount of people taking up space.

Jemma met Fitz and Daisy at the front entrance to the library. Daisy and Jemma were going to study for their chemistry exam, while Fitz was going to study for his physics exam. Fitz had a Tangle in his hand and was chewing gum, and Daisy spun her fidget spinner as they made their way up to the third floor.

There were already people at Jemma’s favorite table: a curly-haired girl who was sound asleep and drooling all over her open textbook, and a brown-haired boy whose headphones did nothing to keep the fact that he was listening to _Hamilton_ to himself. Jemma whimpered and pressed her hands to her neck and jaw.

“We’ll find a better spot,” Daisy said, flicking her fidget spinner as she looked around the third floor. All the tables, couches, and chairs were taken, and some students were on the floor next to the wall sockets, glaring at anyone who even looked like they were going to ask if they could plug their laptops in too. “Maybe the fourth floor?”

They went upstairs, but the situation was much the same as the third floor. “I knew I should have booked a study room,” Jemma said, clenching her hands into fists as they made their way back downstairs. “Why didn’t I book a study room?”

“We could go study in one of our dorms?” Daisy suggested.

“No!” Jemma snapped. “We have to study in the library! We always study in the library!”

“Okay,” Daisy said, holding up her hands as they exited the stairs to the first floor. “We can study here, but I was just suggesting that if we can’t find a seat, we could go back to our rooms.”

“There’s one!” Fitz cried, pointing before running over to claim the couch that a group had just vacated. He lay down on the couch and grinned at the girls, giving them a thumbs up. Daisy and Jemma made their way over and he sat up, scooting to one side so Jemma could sit next to him and Daisy could sit on her other side.

“Thanks, Fitz,” Daisy said, pulling her laptop out of her backpack.

Jemma unzipped her backpack to take out her textbook, but she was frowning as she did so. It just didn’t feel right to study on a couch instead of at a table. Where was she going to spread out her flashcards? And how was she supposed to concentrate with so many people talking about so many different things around her? And how was she supposed to ignore the people who didn’t seem to understand that headphones were supposed to make it so other people couldn’t hear the music they were listening too? She felt like she wanted to cry.

She suddenly realized Daisy was trying to get her attention and turned to look at her. Daisy’s face was one of concern and worry. “Are you okay?” Daisy asked.

Jemma opened her mouth to reassure her friend that of course she was okay, when she became aware that she was actually crying instead of just feeling like she wanted to. She let out a whimper and covered her face with her hands.

The next thing she knew, something was being placed over her ears. Instantly, the noisiness of the library was muted and became much more bearable. She uncovered her face to see Fitz looking at her with concern. He gave her his Tangle and then put her chemistry textbook back into her backpack. “Come on,” he said, standing up, and holding out his hand. She took it, and he pulled her to her feet and then helped her put her backpack over her shoulders. The weight of it helped her feel more grounded.

He took her hand again and led her outside, stopping just outside the library in a small, private alcove. “Can you hear me?” he asked, pointing at the noise-cancelling headphones. She nodded and began playing with the Tangle as more tears ran down her face. “I know you want to study in the library,” Fitz began, “and if you really want to, we can try it again. But I also want to suggest going back to my dorm. It’s quiet, it will just be the three of us, and you can use my weighted blanket.” He stared out at the passing students, giving her time to think and formulate a response.

Jemma thought about her options. She did prefer to study at the library. It’s what she was used to. But the chaos of finals week made the library completely unlike what she was used to. She was used to quiet and barely any people, and being able to study at a table. She reached out to grab Fitz’s hand. “Your dorm, please,” she told him.

He nodded. “Is it okay if Daisy comes too?”

Jemma nodded. “Of course. I need to help her study for chemistry.”

Fitz pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Daisy before taking Jemma’s hand and starting the walk to his dorm room. He unlocked the door when they got there and Jemma went straight for his bed. She didn’t even bother taking off her backpack before crawling under his weighted blanket. She immediately felt calmer with the pressure and took off the noise cancelling headphones. “I’m sorry,” she told Fitz, who was sitting at his desk, flipping through his physics book. “I don’t know what that was.”

“Sensory overload,” Fitz explained, not looking up from his book. “It happens when things get to be too much, like all the noise in the library, and the way your plans were messed up when we couldn’t find a table. It’s perfectly normal.”

“Thank you for helping me,” Jemma said.

Fitz smiled at her. A knock on the door interrupted whatever he had been going to say. He went to answer it and Daisy entered. “Are you okay?” she blurted out, coming over to stand next to the bed.

“Yes,” Jemma said. “I’m sorry about that; the noise was just a bit too much.”

“No, I completely get it,” Daisy said. “I think I would have had trouble concentrating too.” She took off her backpack and sat down on the bed. “Are you up for studying?”

Jemma nodded and sat up, finally taking off her backpack. She pulled out her chemistry textbook and Daisy started asking questions about a concept she was struggling to understand.

 

~*~*~*~

 

A couple hours later, after Daisy had left to study for her other finals on her own, Jemma and Fitz cuddled together underneath the weighted blanket. Fitz shifted so he could pull a wrapped gift out of the drawer of his bedside table. “This was gonna be one of your Christmas gifts,” he told her, handing over the package, “but I think you might need it more now.”

Jemma opened the present to find a ring. It was wide, and the middle band was covered with stars, planets, and moons.

“It’s a spinner ring,” Fitz explained. “It’ll give you something to fidget with and focus on in case things start to get too much again. Erm, I wasn’t exactly sure what size to get, so if it doesn’t fit, let me know and we can exchange it.”

Jemma slipped [the ring](https://www.stimtastic.co/stim-jewelry/starry-night-spinner-ring) onto her index finger and was delighted to find that it fit perfectly. “I love it, Fitz,” she told him as she started to spin it. She gave him a kiss. “Thank you!”

“I got one too,” he said, showing her a [black ring](https://www.stimtastic.co/stim-jewelry/black-spinner-ring) on the middle finger of his right hand. “It doubles as an ace ring.”

“Ace ring?”

Fitz nodded. “A black ring on the middle finger of your right hand is a symbol in the asexual community,” he explained.

“Tell me more?” she requested. She spun the ring as she listened to him talk. The pressure from the blanket, the sound of his voice, and the spinning of the ring had Jemma feeling more relaxed than she had in a long time.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, and for any kudos/comments. If you'd like to visit my [Tumblr](http://unlessimwrongwhichyouknowimnot.tumblr.com) and send me a prompt, feel free to do so. For the month of June, I'm accepting ace-spec and aro-spec pride prompts!


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